Cross Country Cycling Classic facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic

Race details
Date	Holy Saturday, March–April
Region	Belize, Central America
Local name(s)	Cross Country
Nickname(s)	Cayo and Back, Ride for the Roses, The Holy Day
Discipline	Road
Type	Amateur, one-day
Organiser	Cycling Federation of Belize (formerly Belize and British Honduras Cycling Association)
Race director	Orson Butler
History
First edition	1928 (1928)
Editions	92 (as of 2021)
First winner	Elston Kerr
Most wins	4 times: Aston Gill Jeffery O'Brien John Miguel Kenrick Halliday
Most recent	Hasani Hennis

The Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic is a super exciting one-day cycling race held in Belize every year. It takes place during the Easter holidays on Holy Saturday. This race is the biggest cycling event in Belize and is becoming famous around the world!

How the Race Works

The race kicks off early in the morning, usually at 6:00 AM, on Holy Saturday. It starts near Mile 2 on Belize's George Price Highway. This road is a favorite for bike races. Sometimes, the race even starts with a lead-out from inside Belize City at BTL Park before the real racing begins on the highway.

Cyclists pedal all the way to the town of San Ignacio in the Cayo District. Once they reach San Ignacio, they turn around and race back to Belize City. The finish line is usually at the Marion Jones Sports Complex. The total distance of this amazing race is about 142.4 miles.

Only amateur cyclists can join, but riders from many countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Jamaica, the United Kingdom, and the United States have competed. Besides the main prizes for the winners, there are also "station prizes" given out along the way. These are often cash, farm goods, or gift certificates. Belizean people love to line the roads and cheer for their favorite riders!

History of the Race

The First Idea

The idea for this big race came from a Belizean named Monrad Metzgen in 1928. He noticed how many people used bicycles to get to cricket games. He thought it would be a great idea to have a cycling "expedition" to San Ignacio to test how strong the cyclists were on the tough Western Road.

The Governor of Belize loved the idea and offered a prize cup. Other important people also donated money and trophies. A young surveyor, Henry C. Fairweather, helped too. On April 2, 1928, there was a parade and inspection of the cyclists. The Governor congratulated them before they paraded through the streets.

Two men from Cayo, Cyril Simmons and Leonard Neal, even rode the journey beforehand to prove it could be done! The first official race started on April 5, 1928, at 5:00 AM.

The roads were very difficult back then. The first rider to reach Cayo, Elston Kerr, arrived in about 13 hours! The cyclists stayed in Cayo for the Easter holidays, enjoying food, playing cricket, and being celebrated by the people. They also visited nearby villages like Benque Viejo.

On April 9, the cyclists started their return journey. Their progress was reported by telephone, and everyone was impressed by their good spirits. Elston Kerr, from Burrell Boom, finished first in 21 hours and 29 minutes. Norris Wade came in second, and Bertie Cleland was third. Walter Scott, who was only 13 years old, took 50 hours but still got a prize! The race was so successful that it led to the creation of the British Honduras Cycling Association in June.

Early Champions (1929-1950)

The second race happened in 1929, and Elston Kerr won again, becoming the first two-time champion. Norris Wade won in 1930. The race in 1932 was canceled because of a big hurricane in 1931 that hit Belize City. Other early winners included brothers Robert and Goldburn Ferguson, Jose Sosa, Ben Sanchez, and Hendicott Croft.

In the mid-1940s, Altreith Smith and Aston Gill became top cyclists. Smith won the first one-day race in 1948. Aston Gill was a super star, winning four times between 1947 and 1951.

Sometimes, due to road repairs, races were held on the Northern Highway. Donald Lightburn was the first to win on the Belize to Corozal route in 1935 and 1936.

Cross Country Classic Winners 1929-1950

The O'Brien and Miguel Eras (1951-1973)

In 1951, a young cyclist named Jeffrey O'Brien started to dominate the race. He won four times between 1951 and 1955. In 1953, there was a very unusual race. Officials thought O'Brien was too good, so they gave four younger riders a half-hour head start! O'Brien and the main group caught almost everyone, but one junior rider, Clinton Castillo, managed to win. This story is still talked about in Belizean cycling history.

After O'Brien retired in 1955, a new family of champions emerged: the Miguels. The brothers Edward, Arthur, John, and Rudy won 11 of the next 13 Classics! John Miguel won the most titles with four. In 1958, John Miguel and Duncan Vernon finished at the exact same time, which is called a "dead heat." This was the only time that has happened in the Classic's history.

In 1971, a cyclist from another country, Pablo Calderon from Mexico, won for the first time. In 1972, Anthony Hutchinson, known as "The Tank," won his first title, and then won again in 1973.

Cross Country Classic Winners 1951-1973

Year	Winner	Second Place
1951	Jeffrey O'Brien	Altreith Smith
1952	Jeffrey O'Brien	Colly Coffin
1953	Clinton Castillo (junior)	Jeffrey O'Brien
1954	Jeffrey O'Brien	Duncan Vernon
1955	Jeffrey O'Brien	Colly Coffin
1956	Edward Miguel	Duncan Vernon
1957	Duncan Vernon	Barry Parks
1958	Edward Miguel	Duncan Vernon
1959	Edward Miguel	Arthur Miguel
1960	John Miguel/Duncan Vernon (tie)	Anselm Ysaguirre (third)
1961	Duncan Vernon	Arthur Miguel
1962	Arthur Miguel	Anthony McClaren
1963	Lindsford Sutherland	Anthony McClaren
1964	John Miguel	L. Longsworth
1965	John Miguel	Duncan Vernon
1966	Kenneth Sutherland	Clinton Castillo
1967	Clinton Castillo	Louis Peyrefitte
1968	John Miguel	Rudy Miguel
1969	Rudy Miguel	Noel Gordon
1970	Rudy Miguel	L. Longsworth
1971	Pablo Calderon Mexico	Manolo Ruiz Mexico
1972	Anthony Hutchinson	Pablo Calderon Mexico
1973	Anthony Hutchinson	Kenrick Halliday

The Doctor, Sparks, and Americans (1974-1989)

Kenrick Halliday, known as "The Doctor," became a cycling hero. He won in 1974 and 1975. But then a rivalry started with Alfred "Sparks" Parks, who won in 1976. Halliday came back strong, winning in 1977 and 1978. Parks then won in 1979 by leading the whole race! Halliday won four titles in total, and Parks won two.

In the 1980s, young talents like Alpheus Williams emerged, winning three Classics. Lindy Gillett became the youngest winner ever at 18 in 1983. However, in 1987, cyclists from the United States started winning. Ward Zauner, Steve Steward, David Licker, and Frank "Mac" McCannon all took titles. These American riders were very fast, and Belizean fans hoped to find someone to beat them.

Cross Country Classic Winners 1974-1989

Year	Winner	Second Place
1974	Kenrick Halliday	Alfred Parks
1975	Kenrick Halliday	Eugene King
1976	Alfred Parks	Jose Rendon Mexico
1977	Kenrick Halliday	Alfred Parks
1978	Kenrick Halliday	Alfred Parks
1979	Alfred Parks	Glen Gordon
1980	Alexander Vasquez	Anthony Morris
1981	Alpheus Williams	Joslyn Chavarria
1982	Alpheus Williams	Vincent Smith
1983	Linsford Gillett	Vincent Smith
1984	Alpheus Williams	Karl Smith
1985	Robert Mossiah	Warren Coye
1986	Matthew Smiling	Michael Lewis
1987	Ward Zauner  United States	Charles Lewis
1988	Steve Stewart  United States	David Licker  United States
1989	Frank "Mac" Cannon  United States	Michael Lewis

Modern Era (1990-Present)

In 1990, the local cycling group limited international riders, hoping a Belizean would win. Charles Lewis became that "Great Belizean Hope," breaking records. When American riders returned in 1991, Lewis won again, making Belize proud. This started a "renaissance" for Belizean cyclists until 1995, with winners like Michael Lewis, Collet "Bunas" Maheia, and Orlando Chavarria.

There were some exciting and even controversial finishes. In 1993, Roque Matus thought he had won and stopped riding, but the finish line was actually further ahead! This allowed Collet Maheia to win. In 1994, Michael Lewis crashed into a slow-moving truck near the finish line, causing a big pile-up.

Since 1996, international cyclists have often won. Riders from the U.S. have won 8 Classics, Mexico and Guatemala three each, and Belize five. Ernest Meighan won twice (1997, 2001), Shane Vasquez won in 2006, and Giovanni Choto won in 2012. Darnell Barrow was the first Belizean to win two years in a row since 1995.

Sometimes, foreign riders are brought in by Belizean teams. This can make fans upset if a foreigner wins, but it also helps Belizean cyclists test their skills against top international talent. For example, in 2007, American Boyd Johnson won, and in 2008, Ryan Baumann from the U.S. won.

In 2009, Mexicans Carlos Lopez and Carlos Manuel Hernandez took first and second place. In 2010, Miguel Perez from Guatemala won. In 2011, it was a Guatemalan one-two finish with Luis Santizo winning.

But in 2012, Giovanni Choto ended Belize's wait, winning the race after riding alone for 75 miles! One year later, Darnell Barrow won in a close sprint finish. In 2014, foreign riders dominated again, with Juan Pablo Magallanes from Mexico winning.

The race continues to be a thrilling event each year, showcasing amazing cycling talent.

Cross Country Classic Winners 1990–present

Year	Winner	Second Place
1990	Charles Lewis	Ronald Sutherland
1991	Charles Lewis	Christopher Eash  United States
1992	Michael Lewis	Leancy Gomez  Cuba
1993	Collet Maheia	Roque Matus
1994	Charles Lewis	Bobby Lee  United States
1995	Orlando Chavarria	Gustavo Carillo  Guatemala
1996	Chris Blake  United States	Gustavo Carillo  Guatemala
1997	Ernest Meighan	Bobby Lee  United States
1998	Ben Barnard  United States	Gustavo Carillo  Guatemala
1999	Chris Fredericks  United States	Steve Muejack  United States
2000	Gustavo Carillo  Guatemala	Ben Jones  United States
2001	Ernest Meighan	Andrew Smiling
2002	Eduardo Uribe Mexico	Gustavo Carillo  Guatemala
2003	Chris Harkey  United States	Abel Jochola  Guatemala
2004	Chris Harkey  United States	Shane Vasquez
2005	William Elliston  United States	Michael Lewis
2006	Shane Vasquez	Jose Robles Colombia
2007	Boyd Johnson  United States	Anthony Taylor  Jamaica/ United States
2008	Ryan Baumann  United States	Michael Lewis
2009	Carlos Lopez Mexico	Carlos Manuel Hernandez Mexico
2010	Miguel Perez  Guatemala	Wilmen Bravo Isaga  Venezuela
2011	Luis Alberto Santizo  Guatemala	Carlos Gabriel Hernandez  Guatemala
2012	Giovanni Choto	Brandon Cattouse
2013	Darnell Barrow	Juan Pablo Magallanes Mexico
2014	Juan Pablo Magallanes Mexico	Alejandro Padilla Miranda  Guatemala
2015	Justin Williams  Belize/ United States	Scottie Weiss  United States
2016	Alejandro Padilla Miranda  Guatemala	Jose Maria Julio Padilla Miranda  Guatemala
2018	Justin Williams  Belize/ United States	Patrick Raines  United States
2019	Julio Padilla Miranda  Guatemala	Alex Rony Julaju  Guatemala
2020 - 2021	No Race (COVID-19)
2022	Hasani Hennis  Anguilla	John Delong  United States

Other Cycling Classics

Because the main Cross Country Classic was so popular, the cycling association started other races. Junior (younger riders) and Female versions of the event began in the 1990s. These races happen on the same day as the big race, but they are shorter.

In the early years, Camille Solis dominated the Female Classic, winning six titles! She won more than any other cyclist, male or female. After she retired, female cycling slowed down for a bit but is now growing again. The Female Classic now takes place in May on Mother's Day. The Junior Classic is held a few weeks before the main race. There are also special races for Masters' (older) and Non-elite (unregistered) cyclists.

When the female races first started, they covered a much longer distance. They would ride from Mile 25 on the Western Highway to San Ignacio and back! Even though the male riders always finished first, the crowd would cheer loudly when the female contenders entered the stadium. Thanks to Camille Solis's efforts, female cycling in Belize is becoming more popular, and many top teams now have female riders.

Classic Records

• Longest Distance Record: 139.5 miles in 5 hours, 39 minutes, 25 seconds (set by Luis Lopez on March 30, 2024).
• Most Championships (male): 4 wins, shared by:
  • Aston Gill (1945–47, 1950)
  • Jeffrey O'Brien (1951-52, 1954–55)
  • John Miguel (1960, 1964–65, 1968)
  • Kenrick Halliday (1974–75, 1977–78)
• Most Consecutive Championships: 3 wins (Aston Gill, 1945–47)
• Breaking the 8-hour barrier: Jeffrey O'Brien, 7 hours 44 minutes, 1954
• Breaking the 7-hour barrier: Lindy Gillett, 6 hours 30 minutes, 1983
• Breaking the 6-hour barrier: Charles Lewis, 5 hours 57 minutes, 1994

See also

• Cross-country cycling